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1954 Map of Mount Linnaeus

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Mount Linnaeus
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1970
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1970

About this map

Deep canyons and high-altitude plateaus within the Manti-La Sal National Forest define this 1954 landscape, where ranching and ancient history intersect. The presence of Newspaper Rock and several Cliff Dwellings highlights the long-standing human occupation of the area, while contemporary life in the mid-1950s is marked by remote outposts such as Wilson Ranch, Kelly Ranch, and the Indian Creek Guard Station.

Topographically, the map is dominated by the massive Bridger Jack Mesa and Shay Mesa, with elevations climbing toward Mt Linnaeus and West Mtn. A network of jeep trails and a prominent pipeline cut across the drainage basins of Cottonwood Creek and Indian Creek, showing the early modernization of this backcountry. Landmarks like The Causeway and the strikingly named Skull and Crossbones suggest a landscape of dramatic natural formations and challenging navigation for the surveyors of the Atomic Energy Commission.